


My Courage Always Rises

by MarshallFluff



Category: Lawless (2012)
Genre: Bootlegging, Dancing, F/M, Female disguised as a male, Forrest might be ooc, Good Older Siblings, Idiots in Love, Illegal Activities, Irish Language, Irish Traditional Songs, Irish slang, Many injuries, Mutual Pining, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, References to Irish History, Slow Burn, sorry about that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-05-07 05:19:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19202692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshallFluff/pseuds/MarshallFluff
Summary: Samantha Murphy has always been close to the Bondurant brothers, so when her own brothers who are US Marshalls are called out of state to help track down some criminals, the Bondurants are more than happy to take her in while she recovers from an injury. Her brothers had heard rumours about Special Deputy Rakes' methods, and pleaded with her to disguise herself as a man until Rakes leaves Franklin. While she works at Blackwater Station disguised as Sam Murphy youngest brother to famous US Marshall William Murphy, Sam starts feeling stirrings towards the middle Bondurant brother that she had thought she had dealt with long ago.





	1. Prologue

William Murphy watched his youngest sibling in amusement as she stubbornly refused to accept any help, and limped her way out of the house. Sheriff Pete Hodges and William shared a look of fond exasperation as Samantha Murphy slapped away a hand that reached out to help her when she stumbled slightly. William’s youngest brother, Ronan who was four years older than Sam quickly snatched his hand back from his sister, just barely missing her slap. When she stumbled again, Samantha let out a huff of frustration and stopped before glancing up at William with a faintly amused expression and a raised eyebrow. He grinned and walked over to, offering his arm to her when he reached her. She wrapped her arms around his arm and leaned on him to help get her to Sheriff Hodges’ car.

Once she was comfortably sitting in the backseat of Sheriff Hodges’ car, William shut the door behind her and Ronan put her bags into the boot of Sheriff Hodges’ car. As Ronan walked around to give his farewells to Samantha, he snorted as she had slouched in the chair and was ever so slightly sulking. Samantha wound down the window, while William and Ronan bent down so they could easily talk to her. 

“Still don’t understand why I can’t just stay at home while ye are away,” Samantha argued in her strong Irish accent. 

“’Cause we already left you alone for a couple of hours and we all know how that turned out,” Ronan replied, raising an eyebrow at her. Samantha had the decency to at least look a little sheepish as Ronan reminded her of the event. 

“Sammy, we heard that there’ll be a special deputy coming from Chicago,” William murmured quietly to her, Sheriff Hodges had taken a few steps away from the car to give the siblings some privacy, “He’s gonna be trying to crack down on the bootleggers.”

“Why the feck are ye sending me to the Bondurant’s then?” she asked him confused, “For God’s sake Will, we’ve had some of their moonshine ourselves.”

“Sammy, we got warning from some of the other Marshalls,” Ronan told her, a serious expression on his face with a small hint of concern in his face, “This special deputy, he’s got a bit of a reputation for doing whatever he needs to do to get the job done.”

“This special deputy got a name that I can identify him by?” she asked them, immediately realising why they were sending her to stay with the Bondurant brothers, no one messed with them. 

“Charley Rakes,” William answered her, and handed her a knife and a gun belt, “Be careful Sammy. He’s dangerous and sadistic.”

“I’ll be careful, don’t worry,” she answered, taking the knife and tucking it into her boat before looping the belt around her waist and tightening it. 

“Might be a good idea to become Sam,” Ronan suggested, but the trio knew it was more of an order than a suggestion, “Just until this Charley Rakes is dealt with.”

Samantha nodded and lifted herself up with a wince to kiss her brothers on the cheek. William wrapped a strong arm around her and kissed her on the forehead, before pulling back and gesturing for Sheriff Hodges to come back over and join them. Ronan slipped something into Samantha’s jumper pocket, it was actually an old jumper that she had robbed from William a few years ago. Samantha glanced at him and he winked at her, and she made a mental note to check the pocket as soon as she was alone. 

“Sheriff Hodges, it might be better for Sammy here to be Sam,” William told the Sheriff, “Just until that special deputy is gone.”

“Yeah, I was just thinkin’ that myself,” Sheriff Hodges agreed, “I don’t like what I’ve seen of this Special Deputy so far. Honestly I’m relieved that Sammy will be staying with the Bondurants, would have been constantly checking in on her otherwise.”

“We best be off,” Ronan said to both the Sheriff and Samantha, “Gotta catch up with the other three gobshites before they do something stupid.”

“You boys keep safe,” Sheriff Hodges said, shaking their hands before getting into the driver’s seat. 

“Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid!” William called out as Sheriff Hodges drove away, Samantha held her hand out of the window and flashed her brothers the bird.

Samantha and Sheriff Hodges sat in a comfortable silence as they drove towards Franklin Police Station, a couple of seconds into the drive Sheriff Hodges had turned on the radio. ‘I Got Rhythm’ by Red Nichols was playing on the radio, Sheriff Hodges started swaying a bit to the beat of the song and his dance moves got more and more ridiculous, he grinned as Samantha began to laugh. They pulled up to Franklin Police Station, and Sheriff Hodges opened Samantha’s door for her and helped her out of the car. Wordlessly he offered her his arm, they share a look and she smiled gratefully at him, not wanting a repeat of the stumbling and pain she had felt when they had been leaving her house. 

“You’re a real gentleman, Pete,” Samantha complimented him, as he helped her into the police station, “Why we going in anyway?”

“I was gonna bring Henry, to help you bring your bags in to the Bondurants place,” Peter answered her, watching her carefully and he was careful to maintain pace with her, “You ain’t bringin’ your dogs with you?”

“I figured I’d wait ‘till I definitely knew it would be okay with the Bondurants before I brought the dogs over,” Samantha answered, “Didn’t want to impose on them.”

“And your bike?” Pete asked, opening the door for her.

“That was William’s decision,” Samantha answered, walking into the station and sitting on Henry Abshire’s desk, “Didn’t want me hurting myself anymore.”

“He’s a bit too late for that,” Henry teased, Samantha playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

“C’mon you two,” Pete sighed in fond exasperation, “Need to get Sam up to Blackwater Station soon as we can.”

“A’ight,” Henry replied, tapping Samantha’s legs that had been resting on his knee. 

Samantha carefully got down from Henry’s desk, when she noticed Henry tense up slightly. She glanced around and saw a man in a three piece suit with slicked black hair and almost no eyebrows. 

“You going to be Sam when that Special Deputy’s around?” Henry whispered into her ear, having leaned forward so the deputy couldn’t hear them. 

“Aye,” Samantha answered just as quietly, “Will’s heard bad things about him.”

Henry hummed in agreement, placing himself subtly between Sam and the special deputy. Pete glanced at Sam, and relaxed slightly when she winked at him. 

“Did I hear you were planning on going to Blackwater Station?” the special deputy asked in a Chicago accent. 

“We’re dropping young Sam up there,” Pete answered him, “He’s going to be staying up there till his brothers come back to town.”

“Isn’t that where those bootleggers the Bondurants live?” the special deputy asked, with a small smirk on his face. 

Sam didn’t like the look in his eyes, and moved further behind Henry. Henry glanced back at her and sent her a small reassuring smile, the special deputy would have to go through him before he got anywhere near Sam. 

“Yeah, it is,” Pete replied somewhat uneasily, he always knew the special deputy and that new attorney would want to meet the Bondurants, but he didn’t think it would be so soon, and not when he had to ask a favour of them either. 

“Well then, might be time for myself and Attorney Wardell to meet these bootleggers,” the special deputy said.

“Alleged bootleggers,” Sam said before she realised what she was doing. 

All heads snapped towards her and Sam cursed herself in her head. The special deputy narrowed his eyes at her and Henry was looking at her incredulously. They were just lucky that Sam’s voice had been slightly hoarse and had disguised her feminine voice. The deputy started walking towards her and Henry’s hand automatically slipped to his gun, before Sam gently tapped his foot with her own. He glanced at her and she gently shook her head, he reluctantly took his hand off his gun and took a step behind her. 

“What did you say?” the special deputy asked. 

“Uh, they’re only alleged bootleggers, right?” Sam asked deepening her voice and spoke in a Southern accent, playing stupid and innocent, “I mean, ain’t no one gonna be makin’ moonshine ‘round here.”

The special deputy smiled condescendingly at her, and she felt Henry relax slightly behind her. The deputy ran his eyes up and down her once or twice and she had never been so relieved to be wearing her brother’s baggy sweater and a pair of trousers. 

“I’m Special Deputy Charley Rakes, I’m from Chicago,” the man said, introducing himself and offered a gloved hand out to Sam. 

“ ‘m Sam Murphy,” Sam said, shaking Rakes hand with a firm handshake like her brothers had taught her to. 

A flash of recognition passed over Rakes’ face. Taking his hand back from her and analysed her face for several moments. Sam resisted the urge to fidget, feeling uncomfortable that anyone had been staring at her face for so long.

“You a relation to US Marshall William Murphy?” Rakes asked. 

“Yeah, he’s ma brother,” Sam replied, running her hand through her short hair. 

“Heard some pretty amazing stories about your brother,” Rakes said. 

Sam nodded, unsure of what she should say. She glanced over to Pete, looking for an out. 

“If you want to go to the Bondurants, we better be going now,” Pete said, drawing Rakes’ attention, “Gotta collect Mr. Wardell on the way.”

Rakes nodded, and stepped back from Sam. Henry gently and subtly tapped Sam’s lower back, she glanced back at him and they both started walking towards the exit of the station. 

“Sam,” Rakes called out, and Sam stopped turning to face him with a small smile, “You be careful around those Bondurant boys, they’re trouble.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Rakes,” Sam said, grinning at him, and walked out of the station, leaving Pete inside with the special deputy. 

Henry joined her outside and let out a huge sigh of relief. 

“Jesus, Sam,” Henry scolded her, “What the hell were you thinking back there?”

“I wasn’t,” Sam answered, staring straight ahead of her, “I wasn’t thinking. It just came out before I even know what was happening.”

“You’re riding with me,” Henry told her, they both got into Pete’s car, “I ain’t lettin’ you in the same car as that Special Deputy, Pete can ride with him and Mr. Wardell.”

“I’m not fighting you on that anyway,” Sam guffawed, getting into the backseat of the car, while Henry got into the front. 

“Nice accent you pulled off,” Henry complimented, as they waited for Pete and Rakes to come out.

“Why thank ye kindly, sir,” Sam teased him, slipping into the Southern accent easily. 

Henry reached forward to turn the radio on, and Sam curled up against the door behind the driver’s side. Her head rested against the car door and she felt her eyes slowly closing. Pete came out of the Police Station, followed by Rakes. As soon as he saw Henry and Sam in his car he shook his head and took the car behind them, Rakes followed him into the car. Henry started the car, and Sam felt herself getting more and more tired.


	2. Introductions Are Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam brings a bit of fun back into Forrest's life.

“Forrest,” Pete greeted the middle Bondurant brother, aware of Special Deputy Rakes somewhere behind him, “Got a favour to ask you before we get to talkin’ about business.”

Forrest watched the Special Deputy warily, his fingers clenched around his knuckle dusters. He turned his attention back at Pete who seemed to be trying to communicate something with him, he nodded at Pete, waiting to hear what this favour was. 

“Well, the Murphy brothers are all out of town, dealing with some criminals somewhere,” Pete started, Forrest relaxed slightly, having a feeling where this was going, “William’s a bit concerned that Sam might not be able to take care of himself properly. He was wondering if you’d be willin’ to take Sam until they’re back in town, make sure he doesn’t do anything too stupid.”

“Yeah, a’ight,” Forrest agreed, “So where is Sam?”

“Sam’s in the back, fast asleep,” Henry answered him, gesturing towards the car he had been driving. 

Forrest nodded and slowly walked over to the car, resisting the urge to smile at the figure that was slumped against the car door. Forrest reached towards the car door and paused slightly when he heard a small hiss, turning he faced Henry and Pete and raised an eyebrow. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you Forrest,” Henry advised, “Sam might come up swinging.”

Forrest grunted and opened the car door suddenly. Sam fell out in a heap, groaning as she hit the floor. A rumble of amusement came from Forrest’s chest, Sam winced and glanced up at Forrest with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Forrest,” Sam greeted. 

“Sam,” Forrest replied, and offered a hand to Sam. 

With a slight wince, Sam reached a hand up and got to her feet with the help of Forrest. She had forgotten how strong and sturdy the middle Bondurant brother was, everyone always assumed Howard was the strongest but she’d bet money on Forrest being able to beat him. As soon as she was standing Forrest looked her up and down, his eyes closed in on the fact that she was slightly cradling her ribs with her right arm. 

“Henry, why don’t you help Sam over to a chair,” Forrest said, making it sound like a suggestion to Rakes but Henry, Pete and Sam knew it was an order. 

Henry walked over to Sam, and helped her up to the porch, huffing a laugh as she stubbornly tried to walk as far as she could by herself. He walked near her and his hands were out, ready to help her if she stumbled or if she winced. Sam sat on the porch slightly in front of a red-head woman who was sitting on a chair on the porch. 

“I said a chair, Sam,” Forrest grumbled, having carefully watched their progress to the porch. 

“Maybe I want to sit on the porch,” Sam replied, ignoring the rumble of discontent that Forrest let out. 

Henry walked back to stand behind Pete, and Forrest refocused on the Sherriff and the Special Deputy. 

“This here’s the new special deputy,” Pete said to Forrest, gesturing to the man in the three piece suit, “He’s been brought into the city. You know, make sure things go smooth.”

“What things might they be?” Forrest asked.

The special deputy snickered a bit. Forrest’s head immediately snapped towards the special deputy, eyeing the man up. 

“Sorry, something amuse you?” Forrest asked the special deputy, Sam could hear the warning in his tone. 

“My name is Charley Rakes,” the special deputy said, introducing himself as he walked towards Forrest, “I’m from Chicago.”

“That damn brother of yours,” Henry asked, regaining Forrest’s attention as he spat some tobacco out, “Is he somewhere about?”

“Howard ain’t here,” Sam said from her spot on the porch, Henry glanced up at her, “If he was he’d have been out here the minute he heard the cars.”

“Who’s in the car?” Forrest asked Pete, glancing at the car Rakes had been leaning against. A robust man with a hat and round glasses sat in the back of the car. 

“That there’s the new Commonwealth Attorney, Mason Wardell,” Pete answered, “Want us to work it out, so everybody gets to do some business.”

The man, Mason Wardell, tapped his hand against the window three times. Rakes pushed away from the car he had been leaning against and slowly began to walk towards Forrest.

“Henry, go see what Mr. Wardell wants,” Pete ordered Henry, who shot a quick glance over at Sam. 

Special Deputy Rakes started walking towards Forrest, and as he got closer, Cricket Pate started to walk further back. When Forrest finally turned his head to look at Rakes, Cricket turned around and started walking away faster, when he saw Sam gesture for him to go join her at the porch. He quickly limped his way over and sat down next to her, while Sam leaned against one of the pillars on the porch, bringing her right leg up and lazily dropped her hand down close to her boot. Cricket noticed the handle of her knife pointing out from the top of her boot, and Sam kept her eyes on Forrest and the Special Deputy. Henry walked over to talk to Mr. Wardell to see what he wanted, and glanced over at Sam to see her hand resting against her leg where he knew she kept a knife. 

“Pete,” Forrest said turning his attention back to the Sheriff, “Who the hell is this son o’ a bitch?”

“Me?” Rakes asked, as Henry made his way back over to stand behind Pete and he let his hand casually fall to his sidearm, watching Rakes and Forrest carefully, “I’m the one who’s going to make your life real difficult from now on, if you don’t toe the line, country boy.”

Rakes poked Forrest in the chest, and Forrest’s head turned to him. 

“Shit,” Sam murmured quietly, Cricket looked at her carefully, and pulled on her trousers when she looked like she was about to stand up. 

“Don’t you ever touch me again,” Forrest warned Rakes. 

Rakes laughed slightly, and then turned to look at the trio sitting on the porch of Blackwater Station. He slowly walked towards them, while Forrest turned his attention back to Pete and Henry. 

“Forrest, it already settled,” Pete explained to him, “Whole county’s gonna get on board eventually. Start at twenty dollars a week, thirty dollars a load, gets you free passage throughout the whole county. No one’ll bother you.”

Sam looked up at Rakes as he walked closer, he seemed to be switching his attention between Sam and the red-head young woman sitting on the chair somewhere behind Sam and Cricket. Cricket tensed up slightly, and Sam subtly reached a hand down to his hang to give him a reassuring squeeze, before grinning up at Rakes. 

“Don’t no one bother me now,” Forrest rumbled. 

“Howdy, there Special Deputy Rakes,” Sam said with a grin, getting him to focus his entire attention on her, “Fancy seeing you ‘round these parts.”

Rakes’ lips twitched slightly as he looked at her. Sam was glad they hadn’t let him know who she was, she hadn’t liked the way he had been looking at the red-headed woman, gave her the creeps. Forrest glanced back at them when he heard them talking, put then turned his attention back to Henry and Pete. 

“Mr. Wardell, he’d like a jar of your finest apple brandy,” Henry told Forrest, and held out some money to him, “That be a’right?” 

Pete took the money and offered it out to Forrest. But Forrest had turned his attention to Rakes who was walking closer to Sam, Cricket and the red-headed woman. Sam was taking Rakes’ attention off the woman and was trying to keep the attention on herself, Forrest clenched his hand tighter around his knuckle dusters. 

“Pete was telling me you’re William’s youngest brother,” Rakes said to Sam, who grinned and nodded up at him, “Now that’s funny. All the talk I’ve heard about the Murphy brothers, and I don’t remember a Sam Murphy being brought up.”

“That’s ‘cause I’m always injurin’ myself,” Sam answered him, her eyes glanced over to Forrest who was watching them with his jaw clenched, “Ma brothers didn’t want no one to know their youngest brother was always hurtin’ himself doin’ stupid thangs. Would ruin their reputation.”

“I suppose it would,” Rakes agreed, “Still, it’s a bit surprising that William Murphy’s little brother is a cripple.” 

Forrest took the money Pete had been holding out and walked over to Mason Wardell’s car and stood next to it, waiting for the window to open. Sam strained her ears to try and hear what he said to the attorney, but Forrest was speaking to quietly, all she knew was that he walked back without the money. 

“You’re gonna regret this, Forrest,” Mr. Wardell called out after him. 

“He’s already regretting it,” Rakes said with a sneer, “He’s just too ignorant to know it yet.”

“Go on inside now,” Forrest said, gesturing for Maggie and probably for Sam to go inside Blackwater Station.

Sam stayed where she was, and made the mistake of making eye contact with Rakes, while Forrest walked over, with the intentions of walking back into the station, till Rakes snickered slightly looking down at the ground. Forrest stopped right next to Sam, and looked at Rakes. Sam had only seen that hard expression on Forrest’s face when he was about to hit someone. Henry, Peter and Sam felt the tension building between Rakes and Forrest, and Sam had never been so grateful that Howard wasn’t around. 

“You thinking of drawing on me?” Rakes asked Forrest, watching him calmly. 

Forrest stayed quiet and stared at Rakes for several more moments. Pete unlatched the cover that was over his handgun, and rested his hand on his gun, ready for any possibility.

“Forrest,” Sam called him gently, standing up with the help of Cricket and keeping her eyes on Forrest. 

Forrest blinked a bit, and looked up at Sam for a couple of seconds, before grunting and walking up the steps to the station, holding the door open for Cricket and Sam to walk in before him. Cricket helped Sam over to the bar, where she immediately hobbled in behind it to pour three drinks, she looked over at the red-headed woman and raised an eyebrow while holding up the bottle of Irish whiskey, when the woman smiled at her, Sam poured a fourth drink.

They heard one of the cars drive away, and then the sounds of boots walking up the steps outside the station. Forrest immediately turned his attention to the door, while Sam reached down towards her gun that sat in the belt around her waist. They both relaxed when they saw it was just Henry with Sam’s bags. A look of realisation crossed her face, and Sam quickly moved to walk out from behind the bar, but stopped when Forrest threw her a look and took her bags from Henry. 

“Can I offer you a drink, Deputy Abshire?” Sam offered, while Forrest moved her bags into his office, and Cricket took a seat at the bar. 

“Always knew there was a reason you were my favourite Murphy,” Henry answered, walking over to join Cricket at the bar.

“And here I was thinking it was my pretty face,” Sam teased him, slipping back into her Irish accent when she knew the Special Deputy wasn’t around, “You want some of the Bondurants special brew or do you just want some coffee?”

“Got any of that nice Irish whiskey left?” Henry asked hopefully, nodding at Forrest when he joined them. 

“You’re in luck,” Sam told him with a grin, and reached below the bar and grabbed a bottle of Jameson whiskey and a glass for him, "William brought some over a few days ago as a 'thank you' in advance."

“Thank you kindly, Sammy,” Henry said gratefully, and sipped on the whiskey. 

“Now, Forrest Bondurant I hope you haven’t forgotten your manners,” Sam warned him, and Forrest looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, “You haven’t even introduced me to your lady friend.”

“Um,” Forrest mumbled, then gestured to Sam, “Maggie, this is Sam Moore, gonna be stayin’ here for a while. Sam, this is Maggie, she works at the station.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Maggie,” Sam said with a grin, offering her hand over the bar to the red-headed woman, who stood up to shake it. 

“I thought I heard that Deputy call you a man,” Maggie said to Sam, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah, what of it?” Sam asked nonchalant , handing Maggie her glass. 

“Why didn’t you tell him he was wrong?” Maggie asked curiously in her Chicago accent. 

Everyone else froze as soon as she finished talking. Sam had stopped pouring Henry another drink and was looking at the glass, Forrest turned his attention on them both, stopped in the swing door that led behind the bar. Cricket was nervously tapping his fingers along the bar, while Henry was watching Sam’s face carefully. After several moments of silence, Sam looked up at Maggie and grinned, and continued pouring out Henry’s second drink. 

“Now whatever gave you that idea?” Sam asked, playing dumb, but watched the woman warily. 

“I know the difference between a woman and a man,” Maggie answered, unaware of the tension that she had caused in the station. 

“Maggie, far as Deputy Rakes knows, Sam is the youngest son in the Murphy clan,” Forrest grumbled, walking over to stand next to Sam and poured himself some coffee, adding in some of the whiskey that Sam had poured for him, “And that’s all he’s gonna know.”

“Why?” Maggie asked, but she wasn’t asking any of the men, she was pointedly asking Sam. 

“ ‘Cause my brothers don’t trust him as far as they can throw him,” Sam answered, “And when they’re out of town and an outsider is around, I become Sam Murphy, youngest brother of US Marshall William Murphy.”

“You saw the way Rakes looked at you?” Henry asked Maggie, and she cautiously nodded at him, “If he looked at Sam the way he looked at you I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that I wouldn’t shoot him myself.”

“And a law man shooting a law man, that’s gonna gain some attention that this town don’t need,” Sam explained, “So I’d be mighty appreciative if you could just call me Sam, till that deputy is gone.”

“Why do you talk like us when Deputy Rakes is around?” Cricket piped up from beside Henry, “And then go back to talkin’ like normal soon as he’s gone.”

“She’s makin’ him underestimate her,” Henry told him, getting a surprised look from Maggie, “Right now, he thinks she’s just some dumb hick who’s older brothers just happen to be US Marshalls. Meanin’ he won’t think that she knows as much about the bootlegging as she actually does.”

Cricket looked up at Sam in awe, wondering if that really was why she spoke in a southern accent whenever Rakes was around. She winked at him, and Cricket grinned, her way of telling him it was all true. 

“Where’re your dogs?” Forrest grumbled out, forearms resting on the bar as he stood next to Sam. 

“Back home,” Sam answered quietly, “Didn’t want to seem like you had no other choice but to take me in.”

Forrest let out a grunt, and grinned slightly. The middle Bondurant brother always was a man of few words, but those who knew him well could understand him perfectly without him saying a single thing. She glanced up at him and saw a promise in his eyes, that she’d always have a place at Blackwater Station if she needed one. 

“Howard sure is gonna be happy to see you,” Cricket told her with a grin, “He’s been complainin’ that you haven’t been around in a couple of weeks. Think he’s been missin’ you.”

Forrest let out a rumble of agreement at Cricket’s words. Sam made the mistake of making eye contact with Henry, who started wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. Sam snorted, before walloping Henry around the head.

“Hey, that’s assaulting a deputy of the United States,” Henry teased her, “I could arrest you for that.”

“Yeah, well that’s a lot more where that came from so you just keep your head out of the gutter,” Sam warned him, the glimmer of playfulness in her eyes telling him she wasn’t offended at all. 

“I’ll take you over to your house later,” Forrest offered.

“No need to Forrest,” Henry told him, “I’ll get the two dogs and bring them over.”

“You sure, Henry?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise at him, “I’d have thought you’d be wanting to get back to the station as soon as possible, to save yourself from getting a chewing out by Pete.”

“I’m sure,” Henry answered her, a small smile on his face as he stood up from his stool, “Pete can chew me out all he wants. The less time I have to spend around that slimy deputy the better.”

Forrest grunted, tipping his head to Henry. Henry leaned over the bar to kiss Sam on the cheek, before tipping his had to both Cricket and Maggie and left the station. 

“That deputy sure has a soft spot for you,” Maggie observed, watching Sam who smiled slightly.

“Yeah, Henry Abshire’s a good man,” Sam answered, kicking Forrest in the shin when he made a rumble of amusement, “He adopted me as his younger sister when his own sister got married and moved to New York.”

“Yeah, he’s got real brotherly feeling for you,” Forrest teased her, and Maggie watched them surprised, she had never seen the middle Bondurant so playful in her time so far at Blackwater Station. 

“What on earth do you mean by that, Forrest Bondurant?” Sam said, turning towards him with an unimpressed expression. 

“He was looking mighty friendly with you at that barn dance last month,” Forrest rumbled out, a teasing smile on his face, “Ain’t ever seen no brother dance with his sister the way he danced with you that night.”

“He was only dancing with me that night because the stubborn oaf I wanted to dance with wouldn’t!” Sam exclaimed grinning at Forrest, “Henry didn’t want to see me lurking around the edge of the barn not enjoying myself so he decided to make a fool out of himself and made sure I was smiling nearly every minute of that dance.”

Forrest’s expression turned serious and contemplative for a moment, the expression that most people were used to seeing on his face. Sam analysed his face suspiciously, waiting for him to fight back as he always did when they were teasing each other like this. Cricket watched them both with a smile on his face, ain’t no one that could bring laughter to Blackwater Station like Sam, he had missed her in the couple of weeks she hadn’t come to visit the station like she normally did. 

“Aw Sam,” Forrest said, he started off somewhat sheepish and embarrassed, but Sam didn’t trust the glint of mischief in his greeney-blue eyes, “If you wanted to dance with Howard, all you had to do was ask him.”

Sam let out an indignant shriek and grabbed a towel from the bar, twisting it around and whipping Forrest’s arm with it. Forrest let out a rumbling laugh and rushed to get out from behind the bar as Sam continued hitting him with the towel, which stung each time it connected. He held up his hands defensively, and Sam made sure she never went anywhere near his face, only getting his legs and torso with the towel. It made a rather amusing sight. Forrest Bondurant, a man made of muscle who was legendary around Franklin was being chased around his own bar by a slight woman who could be mistaken for a teenage boy. There was only about an inch or two in the height difference, but it still gave Forrest a slight advantage, as he picked up his own towel and started defending himself from Sam. Maggie looked to the side when she felt someone gently tap her arm, Cricket had left his seat and come over to her.

“Might be a good idea for us to move out of the firin' zone,” Cricket suggested, watching the two with amusement, “Wouldn’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”

Maggie nodded, and joined Cricket at a table, they both sat back in amusement watching the light-hearted towel fight between the two grown adults. Sam landed a hit on Forrest’s thigh that let out a thwap sound, and Cricket immediately winced as soon as it landed. Forrest let out a low hiss and Sam looked somewhat sheepish but gave Forrest an innocent smile when he looked at her.

“Are they actually hurtin’ each other?” Maggie asked, slightly concerned. 

“No ma’am,” Cricket reassured her, “As soon as the towel hits it stings for a couple of seconds, but it’s forgotten after. Wouldn’t be surprised if Forrest had a mark after that one though.”

Sam’s grin immediately dimmed when she made eye contact with Forrest. She started taking a few steps back, while Forrest took several menacing steps towards her.

“N…n…n…now, Forrest,” Sam stammered, looking up at him with wide eyes, “Let’s-let’s just settle this like adults.”

Forrest looked down at her with a thoughtful expression, and Sam let out a sigh of relief. As soon as she looked into his eyes however, she bolted, vaulting over the bar and ran straight out of Blackwater Station. Forrest took after her, just as quick.

“C’mon Miss Maggie,” Cricket said, gently tugging her up from her chair with an eager expression, “This is the best part.”

Cricket limped out of Blackwater Station right behind Maggie, and they stopped on the porch, watching Sam running as fast as she could down the road away from Blackwater, while Forrest was steadily gaining on her.


	3. Payback is Sweet

Sam did her best to contain the laugh she felt bubbling up inside her as she heard Forrest closing in on her. She didn’t mean to hit him that hard with the towel, but it did him some good to smile, and judging by the surprised look on Maggie’s face he hadn’t been smiling much if at all the last few days. She made the mistake of glancing over her shoulder at Forrest and nearly stumbled over her own feet. Forrest had a grin on his face as he started closing in on Sam, and after a couple more seconds, he lunged at her, bringing them both to the ground. 

As soon as she hit the ground Sam started laughing, and it only got worse when Forrest tried to lift her over his shoulder, only for him to keep touching the spots she had tickles. Tears were streaming down her face as she wriggle around, her foot accidentally connected with his shin as she cackled. Forrest let out a small chuckle, before grabbing her around the waist and throwing her over his shoulder. As Forrest carried her back towards the station, Sam wriggled slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable on his shoulder. Forrest reached his left hand up to tickle the backs of her knees, while his right arm kept her on his shoulder. 

Forrest tickling the backs of her knees only made her wriggling worse, and Sam wondered if he had purposefully tickled the back of her knees because he remembered how ticklish she was there, or if it was just dumb luck. By the time Forrest had reached the station and dumped her into the chair on the porch, Sam’s face was bright red and she had tears streaming down her face. Cricket and Maggie laughed as she gulped in air, finally being able to take in a proper breath without it being halted by her laughter. 

“Whatcha gonna do with her Forrest?” Cricket asked him with a grin. 

Forrest grunted in thought, carefully watching Sam’s face as he thought of what he was going to do to get her back for the towel whip. 

“This one time, we were out at Sam’s and were working in the back on the barn,” Cricket told Maggie, “And Sam dumped a bucket full of water from the loft straight over Forrest. So Forrest picked her up and threw in the lake near her house.”

“Thankfully we aren’t close enough to the lake today for that to happen,” Sam said laughing at the memory, “Don’t fancy getting wet at this moment in time.”

An idea came to Forrest then, and he looked at Sam with a smile on his face. Sam looked up at him suspiciously, before a look of realisation crossed her face and she leapt out of her chair and tried to bolt again, but Forrest easily caught her around the waist and threw her back over his shoulder. Looking at Maggie and Cricket, who were watching him both expectantly and with curiosity, he nodded his head towards the shed where they sometimes kept the cows at night if it got too cold. 

“Forrest!” Sam shouted pounding on his back, “Put me down right now, Forrest!”

Forrest grumbled, and continued walking towards the shed at the same pace, he didn’t seem at all affected by Sam pounding on his back with her fists. 

“Cricket!” Sam pleaded, looking up at Cricket who was walking behind Forrest with Maggie, “Cricket, please help! I’ll make you hot chocolate and all.”

“No ma’am,” Cricket answered her with a small mischievous grin, “You knew what you was getttin’ yourself in for the minute you hit Forrest with the towel.”

“Traitor!” Sam cried out, but Cricket knew she was only teasing.

“Him bein’ a traitor would mean he had to be loyal to you in the first place,” Forrest rumbled out, as Cricket rushed ahead to open the door to the shed for Forrest. 

“Maggie!” Sam called out, her last attempt at getting free, “We girls have to stick together!”

“Yeah, that we do,” Maggie agreed, following Forrest into the cow shed, “But I’m mighty curious what Forrest’s going to do with you.”

“Shit,” Sam muttered, and started squirming harder as they approached Forrest’s destination. 

Forrest swung Sam down from his shoulder and her feet had barely touched the ground before he had lifted her back into his arms, carrying her bridal style. 

“I’m sorry Forrest,” Sam apologised, her final resort, “You know I didn’t mean to hit you that hard.”

Forrest looked down at her, his eyes softening slightly and Sam felt a small glimmer of hope. Her eyes widened when she suddenly felt him throw her and she let out a little shriek as she landed in the water trough. She was soaked from head to toe, and looked up miserably at the trio who were all amused by her situation. 

“Shoulda thought of the consequences before you started a war with a Bondurant,” Forrest teased her, his eyes brighter and a light-heartedness she hadn’t seen in him for a while. Sam grinned back at him, she had accomplished her goal, not having liked how tense he had been during the entire meeting with Pete and Rakes and how that tension had stayed in him until now. 

 

\-------------------

 

Howard and Jack arrived back in the truck to hear a shriek coming from the cowshed. Without a second thought Howard had flung himself out of the truck that hadn’t fully stopped and was running towards the cowshed. He started slowing down when he heard laughter coming out from the same place, and when Jack soon caught up to him, he gestured for him to slow down, before they cautiously walked into the cowshed. 

Howard was in shock of the scene before them. Forrest was smiling, properly smiling for the first time in weeks, Cricket and Maggie were laughing harder than he had ever seen. At the centre of the commotion was a women lying in the water trough, her hair dripping into her face. There was only one person he knew that could make Forrest smile like that, and Howard analysed the women in the trough more carefully, grinning when he saw a pair of mischievous grey eyes peeking through her short hair. 

“Sammy,” Howard greeted the soaked woman with a smile. 

The woman’s head snapped to look at him, and she awkwardly pulled herself out of the trough, her hair covering her eyes and impeding her vision. She ran her right hand through her short undercut hairstyle, it somewhat resembled the style she normally had it in and she could properly see the man before her. 

“Howard,” she grinned at him. 

Howard took four long strides towards her, and wrapped her up in a hug, lifting her up off the ground and twirling her around slightly. Sam laughed as she wrapped her arms tightly around the eldest Bondurant brother, burying her head in against his neck in an attempt to get warmer. He span her around a couple of more times before placing her back down on her feet and gently kissed her forehead. 

“We’ve missed you around here the last couple of weeks,” Howard said to her quietly, not wanting the others to hear him having a soft moment. 

“So Cricket was telling me,” Sam teased him, “Said you were like an old woman, constantly complaining about me not being around the last couple of weeks.”

Howard let out a booming laugh and draped an arm around Sam’s shoulders, turning to look at Forrest’s reaction. His younger brother had a lightness to him that Howard had only seen when Sam was around, and he was relieved that his younger brother seemed to be enjoying himself for the first time in a while. 

“I definitely missed your sharp tongue,” Howard admitted, “Jack’s so easy to rile up and Forrest just grunts.”

Sam snickered at the undoubted accuracy to that statement, and glanced up at Forrest to see his brows furrowed at Howard. 

“You come across trouble on your way home?” Forrest asked his older brother, brow furrowed as he saw some blood on the torso of Howard’s shirt. 

“No, why?” Howard asked confused. 

Forrest just nodded towards the blood stain on Howard’s shirt, it looked fresh enough and made Howard even more confused. Sam shifted slightly, and gained Forrest’s attention. He immediately noticed that one of her arms was now subtly wrapped around her abdomen, carefully looking at the part of her abdomen that she seemed to be protecting and saw a small bit of blood on her shirt.

“Sammy,” Forrest rumbled, and she looked up sheepishly at him. 

Forrest took a couple of steps towards her, and gently moved her arm out of the way. He let out a low rumble, the blood stain on her shirt was now visible and seemed to be slowly growing bigger. Without saying a word, he scooped Sam up into his arms, and started walking towards the station, ignoring her protests. Jack rushed ahead to open the door to the station for them, while Howard easily kept pace with Forrest and was watching Sam with a mix of guilt and concern. 

“’M alright, Forrest,” Sam murmured quietly, “I can walk.”

“Like hell,” Howard said angrily, “That’ll only make you worse.”

Forrest grunted in agreement with his brother, and carefully turned slightly to the side as he walked through the door of the station, making sure Sam didn’t hit against the doorway. Forrest walked into his office, and gently put Sam sitting on his desk. Howard took a step forward, taking over as Forrest stepped back, letting Howard have a look at the injury. He gently lifted Sam’s shirt out slightly, before lifting it up so he could have a look at her wound. Sam hissed as her shirt brushed against her wound, and Howard mumbled a quiet apology. 

“You’re gonna have to take off that shirt so I can clean your wound properly,” Howard told her, and Sam nodded. 

“I’ll clean her wound,” Maggie offered, “You boys can go wait outside.”

“Ain’t nothing’ I never seen before,” Howard replied, not moving from Sam’s side. 

Sam snorted, while Maggie looked at him shocked. Forrest let out a low grumble, Sam glanced up at him feeling his gaze on her, his face was completely blank. Sam kicked Howard’s leg gently, knowing that he was trying to get a rise out of his silent brother. 

“Forrest, why dontcha get a bowl of warm water, a cloth, a needle and some thread,” Howard suggested, glancing over his shoulder at his younger brother, “Jack and Cricket, give the lady some privacy.”

Forrest mumbled something before he left the room, Jack and Cricket followed him. Howard turned his attention to Sam to see if she wanted Maggie to stick her up if she would prefer him to do it. 

“Maggie, Howard’s stitched me back together so many times he might as well do it now,” Sam told the woman with a gentle smile.

“If you’re sure,” Maggie replied, “I’ll see if there’s anything small I could cook up for you.”

“Much appreciated,” Sam said gratefully, and felt a bit confused as Maggie gave her a knowing wink before leaving them. 

“Why do you have to rile him up so much?” Sam asked Howard, as he helped her take off her baggie jumper. 

“’Cause it makes me smile,” Howard answered grinning at her, hanging her jumper over the back of Forrest’s chair. Sam then began to gently manoeuvre her way out of the shirt she had been wearing under the jumper, Howard watched her for a few seconds and when he saw how badly she was struggling, he helped her out of her shirt.


End file.
